big girl/small bat

[iMlearning]

I just thought this was interesting. A young lady on our team who is close to 6' tall, said she'd like a new bat. I said, why don't you try out my DD's. She picked it up and said OMG, that is way too heavy. Now, this girl has to weigh at least 175 and is very fit with good batting technique. DD's bat that she picked up was her 33/23 Easton Brigade (she wouldn't try her -9). I asked her what size her bat was, and it was a 32/22 CF5. I said wow, don't you want a longer/heavier bat for plate coverage and power. She said no, I have long arms and have better control with a light bat.
Well, I can't argue with results! She's the best hitter on the team and can smash them Waaaay over the fence. It just got me thinking...if you only need to hit it over a 200 foot fence, why use a heavier bat that can hit it even farther. I know that is oversimplifying it...but you know what I mean. After last weekends poor outing, DD is going with the lighter of her bats, hoping it helps

 

[Eric F]

It's hard to argue with her logic if she's already crushing it consistently with what she's using. However, a heavier bat may put even more over the fence and give extra power to ground balls, making her even more productive. Or, a heavier bat may muck up a good thing.

I hope your DD finds the magic she's looking for.

 

[Batting Ca]

Hard to argue with results if she's already just flat out crushing the ball. Like Eric said, a heavier bat could help in theory, but it could also ruin a good thing.

 

[mogsoftball]

I think it's crazy for a girl her size to be using a 32/22. If she moved up I would be willing to bet she would be even a better hitter once she got used to the new weight.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

I think it's crazy for a girl her size to be using a 32/22. If she moved up I would be willing to bet she would be even a better hitter once she got used to the new weight.

I feel the same way.

But I also understand the "results speak for themselves" point of view the others have mentioned. I have a girl on my team, who's not a big kid but around 5'5" and 125 lbs. She's 13 years old and she swings a 30" 19oz CF5. She hits every pitcher we face and hits them well.

I've got her to try my DD's old 31" 20oz CF5 and her newer 32" 22oz CF5. The girl does great with both, and I can see no discernible drop-off (or improvement, for that matter) when she uses the bigger bats, and neither can she. However, she always picks up her 30" bat when she's on deck in games and just continues to spray the ball all over the yard.

I guess some kids just get comfortable with a smaller bat. Still drives me nuts, though.

 

[slinger]

We all understand the importance of "bat speed" and in most cases, the mental association with a particular bat. If it ain't broke, do not fix it.